Happy Thanksgiving to all!

As I look ahead to our Thanksgiving celebration this week, I am mindful of all we have to be thankful for here at UIS. I am personally thankful for the exceptional faculty and staff who make this university such a wonderful place to learn, work and grow. 

I'm equally thankful for our hard working and talented students, especially the many who provide such thoughtful leadership for our many student organizations. And at this particular moment in our history, I'm thankful for the soon-to-be new President of the University of Illinois, Dr, Tim Killeen. Dr. Killeen was introduced to our campus just a few days ago and I'm looking forward to our work together. 

Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Congratulations to one of our best!

I was delighted to participate in the investiture ceremony of UIS Business Dean RonMcNeil as the PNC Distinguished Professor in Banking and Finance. In the world of higher education, being appointed to a distinguished professorship is a high honor indeed and this one was most certainly well-deserved.

Dr. McNeil has had a long and successful career that includes serving as the Dean of the UIS College of Business and Management since 2002. I have especially appreciated Dr. McNeil’s understanding of the importance of internationalization on the UIS campus. He has been a champion for the recruitment of international students as well as for study abroad opportunities for American students. He has also led the College to a successful outcome of its AACSB reaccreditation process as well as substantially increased enrollment in the College. 

Thanks to the support of PNC bank, this professorship will enable Dr. McNeil to expand his efforts for the benefit of UIS even further. It was a pleasure to see so many members of Ron’s family at the ceremony to celebrate with him. Congratulations, Dean McNeil!